Fire Dance
by Beryl
Summary: This is a fic on our beloved Herald Griffon. Its my first fic, Yeah! O.K. its a romance but its not smutt, it has a point. (I just don't know it yet! lol!)
1. Default Chapter

Hi ya all.  My little disclaimer thingy-do.  All the Velgarth books, stories, characters, places, ecetera whatever my sleep deprived mind can't remember belong, rightfully, to Mercedes Lackey, Lady Bless her she is a genuis, and if you can't tell my stuff from hers you need even more sleep than I do. (which would be hard to achive.  You would have to really work at it, at this point.  lol!)

Note: I personally have a lot of trouble with pronunciation (Dragon!) and my friends tend to yell at me for screwing names up and such. And when that doesn't work they tend to smack me over the head for enficise (I can't spell!!!), so to cut done on pain (literaly) and confusion, Noria'dori is pronounced Nor-ee-a ' door-i.

**__**

**_Fire Dance_**

Noria'dori carefully ground out the white grits, as though by grinding it to a fine powder she could also grind out a solution to her hopeless situation.  She left her task for a moment to rub her temples.  Maybe it was the dim lighting, there was no candle, only the light from her small tea kettle, or maybe it was stress that always gave her these headaches before a performance.  It didn't realy matter she decided,they would be gone soon enough.  The kettle hissed weakly, it had been her Grandmars.  She strained the water on a much washed but clean cloth into a cheap earthware mug.  Next she added the powder.  Sighing raggedly she did one last check on her cloths, if they could be called that.   Next thing to sheer small cloths and asorted veils covered little of her golden/bronze skin.  Her hair, a naturaly mottly mix of magoganies, browns, and even a little dark gold realy covered more of her than her costume did.  Gold paint had been expertly apllied to skin, making her somewhat underfed form appear more healthy and vibrant.  Nothing more to do, she faced the mug as she would an enemy.  With a grimace of distast she downed her homemade concoction putting it down before it could kick in.  

                In a moment she felt like she was floating on clouds, above the city, the whole world.   Her troubles didn't matter, nothing mattered up here.  But it didn't last.  She was back in her body before she could competely grasp the feeling.  Turn it into something she could bring back.  make it into a dance.  Her mind felt fuzzy, the colors were all bleeding into one another.  Her body was there... but it wasn't.  She could feel it, move it, still dance just the same, but somehow... it had become distant.  What happened to it didn't matter really.  What did matter?, she wondered, swaying slightly on her feet.

Dancing.

                Dancing mattered, out there were the big stage, with all the people.  The people mattered too, somehow.  They wanted to see her dance.  That was all right, she wanted to dance now, now that she remembered.   Dancing took her to the place in the clouds, only better begause she would feel good when she came down, not icky and dirty.  She walked dazedly through the curtains to the big stage, momentarely facinated by the jingling of the bells around her ankles.  She stopped at the pole going from the floor to the ceiling, wondering if it went to the clouds.  But no, she could remember now.  The pole was for dancing.  The music started and her feet moved without her, remembering what to do without her help.  But then the rest of her caught up and she was moving, swinging, twirling, Hair flying everywhich way.  Her bare feet pounded the floor, bells jingling.  Until  the cheering got to loud and she couldn't even hear the music never-mind the little bells.  But it didn't matter, she remembered.  She was spinning, spinning, spinning until she almost spun of the ground.  One more spin was all it would take and then she would _fly_.  Just as she was about to launch herself a hand reached out and grabbed her ankle, pulling her.  Hands had been on her before, everywhere, that was nothing new, but they hadn't tried to stop her from flying.  

                The fall shook her from her drug enduced euphoria.  She crashed to the ground and yelled in pain.  Her ankle seared.  If it was broken she wouldn't be able to dance to fly, maybe not ever again.  That wasn't the most of her problems.  The man who had grabbed her was climbing up onto the stage, a funny look in his eye, a look she knew well.  More were following him.  She scrambled back, dragging her leg, into a dark corner, her lips drawing back from her teeth in a feral growl.  There was no way in Chaos she was getting through that mob with her ankle like this, and that was what it had become, a mob.  She pulled back into the shadows more, teeth bared in warning, fingers crooked to slash.  Her only chance was to make it so much of a blood bath to start they came to their wits and ran early on.  There was no chance of help from the proprieter, the promised crowd control was gone.

                She was alone. 

~

Herald Griffon sighed, pushing a stray lock of hair out of his face.  He had been in Haven for four months straight, the longest since his years at the Collegium.  As much as he loved the palace and Haven itself, he was bored.  _I should be riding circuit some place, not lazing around here._  well he wasn't exactly lazing.  He was teaching a class on the usefullness of herald gifts as compared with mage gifts.  But that still left him with a lot of time on his hands.  _And besides, there are more qualified people than me, I serve more purpose out there._  He would have had his wish, _and probably been cursing it_ exept a farsight student had seen that he would be needed at Haven sometime in the future.  At first there had been great alarm, the times people were in need of a firestarter like him weren't often pretty, but she had assured them it wasn't his gift they needed, it was him.  He had temporarely been taken of the roster for circuit route and when it showed that it would probably be a while he had been given a class to teach.  For a herald used to being useful the confinment  irked.  He sighed again.

~

Noria'dori peered into the mob, hoping in vain to see maybe one sane face, one sign of hope. Something that could tip the odds in her favor.  She caught sight of the torches, towards the back of the group.  If she could only get her hands on one...  As though in answer to her prayers one of the stands wobbled.  For a flickering moment she entertained the hope she had somehow summoned it, like a herald out of the tales she so adored in her youth.  But her hopes were for nothing.  The people on the edge of the mob were being shoved into the stands and when they tipped...  Silverdance held her breath, for a moment forgetting even her pursuers in fear.  The old building would go up in a matter of minutes, with everyone in it. 

And she couldn't do a Choas blessed thing.

~

_:Aren't you done feeling sorry for yourself _yet_?_:  Farist snorted,  tossing his head in contempt.

_Im sorry Farist, its just…  _He gnawed on his bottom lip as he thought, a habit he'd never been able to break.  _Im bored here.  Part of what I love about being a herald is I see new things, meet new people, go to new places.  _

_:I know love.:  _Faristwickered softly_ :that's part of what I love you for.  You like an adventure:****_

_Not exactly an adventure, I just don't want to do the same things over and over again.  I need some change.   I guess that's part of why I was never suited to court life._

He felt wordless agreement down their conection, both with what he had said and that he would never be suited to court life.  Another reason he loved him, he thought the endless court tradition and court life as pointless as he did.  

Griffon grinned down at his ears.  Farist was the single best thing that had ever happened to him.  Whats more, he reflected, he saved me from the single worse thing that could happen to me.  If he had not been chosen Griffon most likely would be in the palace right now, bored silly in some formal dance or dinner or some thing with an already silly wife fluttering by his side.  Herald Griffon grinned secretly to himself, he had met the girl his father had betrothed him to, and he pitied the poor fool who had her now.  Some cousin of his if he remember correctly.  He much preferred Farist and a winter curcuit to all that pomp and fuss.

_:As well you should.:_  his grin widened.

~

Noria'dori screamed a warning but it was lost in the noise from the mob.  Just before the man who had grabbed her moved over her, blocking her vision, the torch stand fell.  Fish oil spilled everywhere, splattering on cloths, hair and the wooden walls.  The yells from the mob turned to pain filled screams as the oil caught and burst into flame.  Fire traveled through the tightly packed crowd while it rose on the old wooden walls.  

                The man, distracted by the screams, turned away to look back.  His grip loosened as he stared at the burning man who stumbled by, arms waving franticly for help.  Silverdance took advantage of the situation and neatly kicked her attacker in the temple.  He dropped like a dead weight.  She wavered herself.  The smoke and heat mixed with the residue of drugs were making her dizzy.  She slowly and carefully backed herself farther into her corner.  The world spun before her eyes for a moment before finally straitening out.  Still no good, the fire was steadly climbing forward.  Now it had caught on the tattered supposed velvet curtains strung against the walls.  Noria'dori leaned back against the walls, a wave of exostion pushing her down like a heavy hand.  __

_                No!_  She screamed in her mind, to tired and dizzy to wisper, never mind scream.  _I need, I need to help them._

~


	2. Chapter Two

Ack!  No!  I couldn't think of exeptable name for Noria'dori in the beginning so I just used Silverdance (ewww!) until I though of something that suited her.  I _thought I had replaced all the Silverdances but I guess I missed some. *Sigh*  _

Lee T'lisa'kðsidörinhélåpælin - _Feyling????  Im not going to ask were you got that from winged-sister. (hehehe! The spell check is having fun with your name!)_

Celtic-Mage - Mua, ha, ha, ha!  Well what do you expect?  _You're the one who related me to a Phoenix._

Sithelf - Grammar and spelling only exist to be the bane of my existence.  Or do I only exist to be the bane of theirs....?

Herald Mistylenna - Huh?  Ohhh…  O.K. thanks!  Will have to fix that.  *Groan*

Stelmarta - lol!  You've got me stuck on 'ack'!  Its so much fun!  Hmmmm… I suppose shes a druggie stripper,  I never really looked at it that way...   

Rosethorn - Ohhh…  Thank you!  I was trying to figure that out.  I didn't have access to Arrows Of The Queen when I wrote this and I couldn't for the life of me remember Griffon's companions name.  So I looked it up online and it got me horribly confused.  Will fix.

Thanks to everybody who reviewed and is reviewing!  It really made/makes my day!  Ask Celtic-Mage, I was on cloud nine the day I got my first one and most of the day after.

As Celtic-Mage mentioned, I love fire.  I share a character named Phoenix.  Fire is my friend and often my companion.  But sadly, I really don't know that much about fire and fire fighting.  Near all references to fire and fire fighting are a mix of my somewhat non-existant common-sense and little snitches of things I've heard.  Like always, I apreciate(can't spell!) any help and advise you have to offer.  Also while Celtic-Mage tries to keep me out of trouble (mostly) I still don't know much about horses and any help on that will be apreciated too. (if I don't need it now, I will by the time Im done! lol!)

                    Thanks again!

                              Beryl****

**Chapter Two**

          The night air suddenly lit up and a loud crash filled the air as flames poured from a tall dilapidated building on the side of a nearby allyway.  Harevis sped to a run without needing prompting and they pulled up next to the burning building in time to see a weasely little man and a few large burly men run out the door.  Griffon reached down and grabbed the back of the small mans cloths, stalling his flight.  

"What happened here?"  he demanded, watching as more people spilled out of the building.  Some were unharmed, but some bore proof of burns and were on fire themselves.  He hardly needed to wait or the answer, if there was anything he knew, it was fire.  The fire was hot, he could feel it from here, and had grown fast enough to shatter the buildings windows.  The small man's words just proved what he had already deduced for himself.  Griffon released him,   already thinking about ways to stop it.  

_          Its imposible. He relises within a second.  __There is no way I can extinguish that on my own, and no one will be here in time no matter how fast Harevis gets word out.  The buildings around it aren't wood like this, and for once they aren't to crouded.  No one really wants to live here enough to croud.  That leaves evacuating as the only thing I can do successfully.  With that thought in mind Griffon slung of Harevis and sprinted for the doorway.  While Harevis was more inteligent than most humans Griffon knew and not built like any ordanary horse, she still was a liability in an indoor fire.  She would help guide any assistance that arrived and try to attract some help._

            By the time he got to the enterance the heat was to the point he had to take of his cloak, although the night was farly chilly.  Men were fleeing the building, a greet many with burns and injuries.  He had time to see Harevis round up the injured, probably with some mindspeaking trick she learned from the _dyheli herdleaders at the palace.  Then he slipped past paniced men trampling each other to escape the searing flames running up the walls and   licking down from the ceiling.  For every two steps he took he was pushed back one, or needed to stop and pull up some unfortunate soul who had been pushed down and was in danger of being trampled by his fellows.  The smoke almost sufocatd him and he was soorly tempted to turn around and escape himself.  __No one would blame you,  Wispered a poisonous corner of his mind, __It wouldn't be your fault.  I would bame me.  He responded firmly to his most traitorous self. __ How could I look in the mirror each day if I didn't do this?  How could I face Harevis? _

          Griffon forced his way through the press of bodies until he was past the crowd, most of them having aleady escaped.  He peered around through the smoke, looking for signs of injured or trapped.  The fire was deafening around him, and the crack of the old week beams over his head was a promise, but he had to do this.  Griffon thought he saw a glitter of light, reflected of something moving off to the left, in the corner of what apeared to be a stage.  He aproached carefully, searching the smoke for something that would trip him in the thick smoke.  This inforced slowness was killing him but after he almost fell over several scattered and overturned chairs he knew he had no choice.  once again he saw the flash of light.  This time he was positive, there was someone there, and they were alive!  For how long, that was the question.

                                                  ~

Dun, dun, dunnn.... Mua ha ha! another cliffhanger!  Only this time all you have to do is hit the little button in the lower or upper right hand corner and, ta da! Presto, instant (almost) update.  I love that. *Beryl grins*

O.K. that was a short chapter but it feels like I should end it and besides, Im posting two.  Hope your enjoying it!  Evilly fun plot twist coming up, not next chapter but soon.  It should be completely random fun unless you have some perverse window into my psycy (I know thats not spelt right) and if you do you have my pitty.  I think only the Imp Of The Perverse itself could survive with its sanity intact inside my head and thats 'cuase I don't think my Lord has any sanity to worry about, I know I don't!  


	3. Chapter Three

What is it about fanficing that makes a person so Choas Blessed happy?  I'll dedicate a chapter to the first person who can explain it.  (big woop....)

**Chapter three**

          Noria'dori's vision was wavering, effected by more than the smoke.  She felt like her skin was cold the fire was so hot.  She resisted the urge to just slip away, fall asleep and let the fire take her, never to wake up.  _What kinda way to go is that?  Her mind scoffed,__  What about your dreams, your plans?  There are no famous dance halls in the Havens, I'd bet.  But it was hard, the I-Don't-Feel,-I-Don't-Care adittude of the despised drugs were seeping in, flowing back down her veins.  She would have cried but it was to much energy she couldn't afford to take away from fighting sleep.  _

          At first she thought the form wavering in front of her was just an illusion, brought on by the smoke and the druggs.  Noria'dori blinked, trying to clear her eyes of smoke, but it was still there and growing nearer.  She shook her head, her gold earings tapping her cheeks,  but it was still drawing nearer.  And now she coud have sworn she could destinguish the colors and rough shape of the aparition.  It was definetly man shaped, colored gray/black with white smudges.  No, Noria'dori realized, not white smudges, but black and gray ones!  It was a herald!

          By now he had reached her and was standing over her.  She saw him try to speak to her but cough as he breathed in smoke.  She shook her head slightly and the dizzyness came back three fold.  He reached down and rapped her in his cloak, turning his face away a little as he worked.  _hes embarassed  she realized muzzily As he lifted her up into his arms and began to carefully but swiftly exit the building.  Then she finally lost her battle with her body and fell uncontious._

~

          After what felt like an eternity Griffon and his precious bundle found their way outside.  He tried to take a deep breath of the clean are but it caught in his throat and he coughed raspily.  The volunteer firefighters had arived while he was in the building and were using some sort of pump the blues had thought up to wet down the walls of neighboring houses and establishments as a few healers saw to the burn victims.  But there were already to many patients for that few healers and he didn't think the girl he had found could wait.  Harevis wheeled up before him and knelt as no horse would, so he could mount without asistance while still holding the girl.  It might have been a long ride for the rescue workers, but for his Farist it would be a matter of minutes to get her to the House of Healing and competent healers.  He pulled her up in front of him, being carefull that her could hold her steady without jarring her injuries when they roe and then they where of.  The road and buildings pasted in a blur as they traveled backwards what had taken them half a mark before in no more than a few minutes.  They slowed as they neared the gate and the guard, a slightly familiar oldster with years experience waved them past.  It was precious seconds and a short cut only a companion would know and they arrived before the House of Healing.  The healer student on duty watching the door had disapeared for a moment on their aproach to pull a bell that would summon a full healer, but then he rushed out to help lift the girl down.  

"She was pulled from a burning building a few minutes ago.  Inhaled a lot of smoke, some scratches and bruises, I think she did something to her ankle." The boy knelt next to her on the ground across from where Griffon crouched and lay a hand on her arm.  His eyes took on the unfocused look Griffon recognized as mage-sight and he examined the girl, paying special attention to her ankle.  He shook his head as his eyes cleared and looked up at the heralds conserned face.

"The smoke will be alright. She tore a ligament in her ankle but we can fix that up easy, but she has something else in her system."  The boy said with a frown. 

"Seditives,  she has taken a sedative in the last hour."  An older man in healers green left the shadow of the doorway.  "Good diagnosis Jeoff, you've done well.  Go get the door while the herald and I get the patient"  Jeoff glowed with the praise as he scrambled up and the door for them.  Griffon's place was taken by another healer at the stairs and he left her in their competent hands.  One of the healers gave him a tea for his throat on his way out and he left to join Harevis by the door.  

          Harevis bumped his shoulder comfortingly. _She'll be fine.  She murmered, feeling his distress.  __The healers know exactly what they are doing and the fire will be out soon.  What you need to do is go back to yor rooms, drink your tea and get some sleep.  _

_Do you think this is what the farseer predicted?  He questioned with a yawn, suddenly tire beyond words.  _

_Hmmm... maybe.  We'll find out, I guess.  Griffon walked with Harevis to the companion's stable and turned her over to the stablehands when they began to politely and subtly shooing him out of their territory.  He laughed tiredly in response to Farist's luaghing winny in his mind and gave into the uninvitable.  Upon reaching his rooms he could barly stay awake long enough to drink his tea and changing his sooty, scorched cloths before falling into bed. _

~

Another short one but like I said, you got two.  Hope you liked it.  Yeah, Noria'dori lives!  


	4. Chapter Four

He he he!!!  Im finally at the-part-of-evil-fun!  Not the one I mentioned, the suprise, but the one I've been planning and plotting sense before this thing even had a name.  Curtain-folk-that-you-will-be-meet are in the needing of a name.  Hmmm...  "Why do you build me up, Buttercup?  Just to let me down...  and worst of all... so build me up, Buttercup, don't break my heart!"  That actually _isn't random oddness. *pout*  Its what my brother left playing on the computer.  He even sings along when he thinks Im asleep.  *shudder*  Given I can't talk, I don't even know what tune is, never mind how to be in it. *sigh*  O.K. I'll stop boring you and cut to the chase. ****_

**Chapter four**

        Griffon woke, completely refreshed from the previous nights activities.  _Actually he thought over the breakfast that had been brought up by a shy page, __I haven't slept that well sense right after my last circuit.  I must be out of shape. Unless.... Harevis you wouldn't!?  He felt the constant presence in the back of his mind do something comparable to an uncomfortable shuffle, made more uncomfortable by the added two feet.  _

_        You were so stressed...  Your not too __angry, are you?  Griffon sighed, __Im not angry, not really, its just you could warn a person.  He could feel Harevis unwind down their link, and warmth pour down it, like a ray of light.  "Speaking of light, lets go find out how our little foundling is doing in the light of day."  _

~

            Griffon decided it was to nice a day to go through the palace, and seeing as his first class wouldn't start till this afternoon he could afford to take his time and wander around the back of the palace and say hello to Harevis when he passed the stable.  The paths and gardens were filled with young couriers dallying about in couples and groups, oblivious to the unobtrusive herald passing amongst them.  Harevis was well pleased with the sugar cubes he supplied and more so with the promise of time on the course after classes were over.  She was also feeling the lack of field work.  

        House of Healers was full of green clad students dashing about, recklessly risking life and limb trying to reach their classes before they were late.  Griffon dodged one particularly ladden down youngster whose antics were caused more by the fact he couldn't see over a stack of large books.  The cool silent halls of the patients ward was a haven after all the hustle and bustle downstairs.  Griffon found a list of patients matched with room numbers, only to remember he didn't know the foundling's name.  Shaking his head with a mute sigh, he went to track-down an on-duty healer.  A few minutes later he found himself confronted with a white door, room number 312 printed across it over a small packet of medical files.  He raised his hand and after a moments hesitation, _what if shes sleeping?!  He knocked softly.  __If shes sleeping she won't hear it and if she wishes to be left alone she can ignore it._

~

        Noria'dori turned swiftly at the gentle knock on her rooms door, before she remembered no one couldbarge in on her now.  _I can have all the privacy I want.  she thought, wriggling with relish, __ until they kick me out._

        She considered the unknown knocker through the wall, _ I don't have to let them in, the healer said.  I only need to speak with my healer and he wont be back for a while.  But she __was curious.  __It can't hurt to atleast find out who it was.  She hobbled to the door of the tiny bathing room cubicle on her awkward ankle brace, absent-mindedly toweling her wet hair.  Leaning her ear agaist the door she replied, just loud enough for someone outside the hall door to hear, "Who is it?"_

        A muffled but definetly male voice floated back through the door, "Herald Griffon,  Ma'am."  A moments pause, "I wanted to se how you were settling in."  Herald Griffon, Herald Griffon....  Where had she heard that before?  A brief flicker of memory; a figure through the soke, a soft cloak against her skin, a brief flash of being jolted about, a memory stolen from the haze of drug, pain and smoke induced sleep.

        _Now she remembered.  One of the healers this morning had mentioned a Herald Griffon, supposedly the herald who had pulled her from the fire.  __What if he wants repaying?  I don't have anything worth giving!  Unless he expects...  No, don't be a fool Noria'dori.  Hes a Herald.__  Heralds just don't do that kind of thing, they're special magic people who do no wrong.  Which is why you were never chosen.  A nasty little corner of her mind wispered.  She thrust the thought aside violently.  __It doesn't matter.  As long as she could dance, it didn't matter who she was. She could fly__.  _

        _He saved my life, the least I can do is thank him.  Noria'dori called a little louder, "Come in, the doors not locked.  Make yourself at home." "Regretfully"  she muttered under her voice.  She and the head healer had had very different veiws on that matter.  She growled under her breath as she viciously toweled down her hair.  __How dare__ he acuse me off doing that__.  No respectable dancer would ever, ever__ sell their body.  She continued to towel, a little less inthusiastically as she opened the bathing cubicles door and stepped out to get a good look at this Herald Griffon._

~

        Griffon opened the door and seeing that there was no one there, took a few steps in.  From the closed door and muffled noise eminating from the tiny bathing room, the girl was attending her business.  The room was sparly furnished, with only a small hospital bed, tiny dresser and one worn chair.  But it was all clean, obsessively.  Griffon turned at the creak of a door behind him and stepped back in shock.  The girl had emerged from the bathing cubicle bent over slightly with a large white towel around her head, but that wasn't the startling part.  She was compleatly naked with the single exeption of the towel draped partly infront of her and various casts and bandaging.  Griffon imidiatly looked down, blushing furiously and cleared his throat.  He saw the girl look up out of the corner of his vision and thought absent-mindedly _She really isn't a girl at all.  Her face screwed up in purplexion and she tilted her head like a bird.  He cleared his throat again and still looking down offered her a robe that had been draped over the back of the single chair.  She stared at him in confusion for another moment as his face burned and then with a sudden burst laughter took the robe and pulled it on._

"Sorry 'bout that sugah.  I forgot where I was for a moment."  All of a sudden she burst into laughter again.  

Finally looking up, the fire receeding from his face, Griffon took his turn at complete confusion. "Im sorry, whats so funny?"

She gasped for breath, a bronze hand pressed to her abdomine, and replied between breaths, "I was just thinking... what if it had been... Healer Durvin who... walked in."  Griffon considered the stuffy old healer who headed the morning shift on the recovery floor and cracked up, which set the dancer off anew.  Everytime one of them would start to regain control they would look at the other and start up again.  They wound up him sprawled in the chair gasping and her sprawled over the bed equally breathless.  He heaved himself up into a sitting position and offered his hand to her, "Griffon"  She considered his hand, a serious look on her small still face and he knew he was being judged, only he didn't know by what measurements or if he would pass.  After a breathless moment she solomnly took his hand and replied,  "call me Ria."  He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as she pulled him to his feet, suprised vaguely how strong she was for one her size. 

"If I got things figured out as good as I think I do, I owe you some thanks."She said, peering up at him,still solomn, but braced somehow as though she was waiting to be hit, hard.

        He shrugged, "Not really, I just did what anybody would have, if they could."  He considered for a moment, trying not to look to closely at the painfully knowing look on her face and added, "Any herald."

        A tension flowed out of her at his words, like water and the merry glint returned to her eyes.,  "Well I thank you anyway, Herald Griffon."  Griffon interupted her,  "not Herald, please.  Griffon or just Griff would be even better."  He tried to make his eyes pleading.  Once again the feeling of being judged, then she nodded slowly.  "Griff"  She said slowly, with the consontrating air of someone tasting something new.  Ria grinned up at him suddenly,  "Its only fair." she said cripticly and then before he could question her, "even if your being modest I still need to thank your companion."  Griff grinned to himself.  "Harevis is going to love you.  Shes always commenting, or complaining, that outside the palace and even in it people always forget the companions."  

        She shrugged, "Seems a perfectly resonable complaint to me.  Is there someplace I could find her?"

        He considered for a moment, he could always just ask the hayburner, but he wanted to suprise her with this treasure, a city person who admitted companion intelligence and took it into consideration beyond how to use it to her advantage. _ Another of her favorite pet peeves.  "The stables, or  companion's field.  Probably the stables though."_

        She cast a wide eyed look out the window at the intimidating expance of ground and building between the House of Healing and stables.  Griffon banged a hand into his forhead.  "Im an idiot. Its your first day, you don't know where anything is inside, never mind outside.  I know, I'll take you there.  You need someone who knows Harevis anyway."

        She peered up at him hopefully, "Would you?  I mean your not busy or have important duties or anything?"

        Griffon shrugged, "Im not busy till this afternoon, till then I realy don't have much to do."  He grinned, "You'll be doing me a favor."

"He means you'll be doing _us a favor."  A old white haired man entered through the partly open doorway.,  "If hes giving you the tour hes not getting into trouble he needs __our help fixing."  The wizen old man said dryly.  Ria grinned.  "Mornin' Healer Norvan."  Healer Norvan  was nothing like cranky conservative Healer Durvin, his older brother, and Noria'dori was glad it was him, not his brother in charge of her case._

"Can I go?  I promise not to push it.  Please?"  She widdened her eyes in a face she knew nothing male could resist.  The healer's face softened, "Weellll...  I guess.  If your carefull not to put to much weight on that ankle."  He considered her for a moment, "But I know you won't."

        He was right. Noria'dori was taking no chances with this injury.  Being incapable of dancing for any length of time was intolerable and she wasn't going to chance making this last any longer than it had too.

        Grif grinned, "so its settled, My Lady."  He offered her his arm.

        She pushed him back into a chair playfully and was closing the door to the bathing rooom before he new what hit him.  She poked her head out for a second, "I ain't nobody's Lady."  Then the door slammed shut.  Griff shook his head as the elderly healer excused himself, trying hard not to laugh.  She was out again in barely a moment, dresses in a swirling full green skirt that disguised her cast, and most of the tattered and patched spots.  A faded brown shirt went over it, held on by a worn wide leather belt.  She grinned, "Well, ye comin' or ain't ye?" 

        He grinned and followed her out the door.

~

Aww... ain't that sweet?  

Don't mind my rather bad street slang.  Im workin' on it.  

Dragon - the last scene sound familiar?  I know, I was gonna save it but I couldn't help it, it fit so well!

I know its kinda wierd, first shes like, ahhh! evil guy person!  Then they're foolin' around.  I figured its a mix of animal magnatism, that they went through a life and death situation together and the fact they really _are great for each other, in my opinion.  I mean, its not like we don't know whats gonna happen eventually, its just how my inner Writing-Beasty/Muse decides to get us there.  (I don't really know what happens next any more than you...  Scary thought.)_

*sigh* The-Part-Of-Evil-Fun is going to have to go into next chapter.  Oh-well, more fun for me!

(Gods-if-I-know many days later) 

Oh, Oh!  Evilly fun idea while reading Arrows Of The Queen!

Muahaha!!!

(two hours later)

Ye Gods!

Nother idea!  Now the story is not just pointless smutt!!!

My precious (tehehe,  inside jokes are _so much fun!) brainchild is saved!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!__


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